This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/293,164, which was filed Jan. 7, 2010. The priority application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present application.
The present disclosure relates to pre-heating exhaust, such as engine exhaust, before the exhaust flows through a catalyst, and capturing combustible fluids including, for example, volatile organic compounds such as greenhouse gases.
In some applications such as, for example, natural gas applications, one or more exhaust sources, such as engines, and one or more other combustible fluid sources, such as compressors, are operated in proximity to one another. In such applications, combustible fluids from, for example, the compressors and/or other sources, which fluids include volatile organic compounds such as greenhouse gases, are vented to atmosphere and/or flared. However, such venting and/or flaring emits greenhouse gases and/or wastes energy. Also, exhaust from the engines or other sources, is sometimes directed through a catalyst before flowing to atmosphere, thereby reducing the respective amounts of pollutants present in the exhaust upon entry to atmosphere. The exhaust is pre-heated upstream of the catalyst to ensure and/or improve the catalytic activity of the catalyst. However, such pre-heating typically requires electrical power to electrically heat the exhaust, and/or fuel to operate a burner that heats the exhaust, thus increasing cost and energy requirements.
Therefore, what is needed is a method, system or apparatus that overcomes one or more of the above-described problems or drawbacks.